The city council has been given almost a quarter of a million pounds to develop plans to start using the River Severn to heat parts of the city centre.
Worcester City Council has been given £230,000 from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to help build a case for a new underground ‘heat network’ which would distribute hot water to help heat older buildings in Worcester city centre using power generated by the River Severn.
Worcestershire LEP revealed in February the heat network could cost as much as £20 million and would heat homes and businesses in the city centre including the proposed Shrub Hill redevelopment.
The ‘heat network’ could power all of the University of Worcester’s buildings as well as those owned by Worcester City Council, Sanctuary Housing’s head office and a number of other buildings in the city centre.
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The council said building the network could significantly cut the carbon footprint of publicly owned buildings such as the Guildhall, Museum and Art Gallery in Foregate Street and the Commandery, where age and condition make them unsuitable for other renewable energy sources.
It is all part of a plan by the city council to cut its own emissions and become a carbon-neutral city by 2030.
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The council believes its move to become carbon neutral would take a “significant step forward” if the work goes ahead.
Councillors will be asked at an environment committee meeting to approve taking the project to the next stage which requires putting a further £5,000 in the pot.
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Worcester City Council and Worcestershire County Council would contribute £5,000 each towards the plan with the Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) putting aside £40,000 and the University of Worcester providing £10,000.
Three years ago, councillors agreed to spend £10,000 on a study to find out how the River Severn could be used for power and backed a bid to the government for funding.
The approval did not come without its doubts about how potentially expensive and disruptive the scheme could prove to be.
The city council’s environment committee meets in the Guildhall from 7pm on July 18.
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